Claudette Colvin: twice toward justice by Phillip Hoose

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hoose, Phillip. 2009.  Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN 978-0-374-31322-7



PLOT SUMMARY
Before Rosa Parks, there was Claudette Colvin - a young girl who twice stood up for her rights and created the change needed to begin the Montgomery bus boycott of 1955-56.  Although she was eventually dismissed by her peers, deemed immature and shunned by many of her friends, Claudette didn't back down and decided that "when my moment came, I was ready." Claudette Colvin was a civil rights pioneer and helped destroy the legal basis for racial segregation in the United States. In this in-depth account, Hoose interviews many of the people involved and has created a detailed book to allow an insight into what happened and how it all began in Montgomery, Alabama.  



CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Winner of the 2009 National Book Award Winner for Young People's Literature, the Robert F. Sibert Award Honor, and a 2010 Newbery Honor book, Hoose's Claudette Colvin is an inspiration to young and old alike. This is a story about how the the actions of Claudette Colvin, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and others brought changes that were going to affect "the whole Southern way of life...." 

Hoose was conducting research for another book when he first heard about a girl who came before Rosa Parks.  He conducted extensive research with Claudette, friends, family and other civil rights activists either by telephone or in person to write this book. These interviews allow us to hear events in a first-person account and to experience how they remember events. Through his prolific use of complimentary informational sidebars, we learn about important people and events leading up to Claudette's stand and the fallout which occurred after. Hoose states that "Claudette lit the fuse to a powder keg of protest." We learn that this was Dr. Martin Luther King's first foray into political life and that Rosa Parks, a secretary of the Montgomery NAACP, helped Claudette Colvin after Claudette was arrested for not moving seats on the bus. 

Included in the book are photos, newspaper articles, letters, and other documents which bring the story to life and to validate the extensive information offered.  He also includes an author's note, bibliography, picture credits, index and a notes section.  

Claudette Colvin's message of "Don't give up. Keep struggling, and don't slide back" is a universal message that all could stand to hear.


REVIEW EXCERPTS
“History might have forgotten Claudette Colvin, or relegated her to footnote status, had writer Phillip Hoose not stumbled upon her name in the course of other research and tracked her down. . . .The photos of the era are riveting and Claudette's eloquent bravery is unforgettable.”—The Wall Street Journal

“Before Rosa Parks, there was Claudette Colvin, a teenager who knew her constitutional rights and was willing to be arrested to prove it” –The Washington Post, a Best Book of 2009 selection

“Phil Hoose...has done pioneering work in bringing to our attention the crucial role of young people in social movements...This is a story that if taught in every classroom in the nation, might well inspire a new generation of young activists to join the on-going struggle for social justice.” —Howard Zinn, author of A People's History of the United States

“Phil Hoose’s profile of the remarkable Claudette Colvin is MUST reading for anyone still imbued with hope. She is a lighthouse in a stormy sea.” —Studs Terkel, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Good War

“Today, thanks to Hoose, a new generation of girls—and boys—can add Claudette Colvin to their list of heroines.” —Christian Science Monitor

“Hoose writes in a fluid, easy style and weaves in many voices of the time. He captures the tension and explosive emotions in the pivotal scenes.” —SacramentoBee

“Hoose’s evenhanded account investigates Colvin’s motives and influences, and carefully establishes the historical context so that readers can appreciate both Colvin’s maturity and bravery and the boycott leadership’s pragmatism.”—Starred, Publishers Weekly

“Hoose encourages teens to empathize with an age peer, once dismissed as too ‘emotional’ to withstand public scrutiny, who later testified in the federal lawsuit that would finally end discrimination on public transportation.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“This inspiring title shows the incredible difference that a single young person can make.” —Starred, Booklist

“Inspiring.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Outstanding.” —Starred, School Library Journal

“This fresh look at a well-documented period in American history will appeal to readers from young teens to adults.” —VOYA

“... young readers finally get to hear Claudette Colvin’s story in her own words, giving them a detailed look at segregated life in 1950s Montgomery, Alabama, and showing them how one teenager helped change the world.”—Marian Wright Edelman, President, Children’s Defense Fund

Connections
-If students enjoyed this book, they may like Hoose's other book: 
   -We ere there, too!: Young people in U.S. history. ISBN 0374382522

-To add to what they learned in the book, have students choose one sidebar of information offered in Claudette Colvin and research further.  Have students use school-offered online databases, books or magazines, and discourage use of Google or other search engines. 

-Using the information gained in the above project, have students prepare and give a 2-4 minute speech to present to classmates.  They must include in their presentation what online databases, books or magazines they used to find the information. 

-Here is a link to a curriculum guide and book discussion questions offered on Phillip Hoose's website.   http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1824909/Claudette%20Colvin%20TTJ%20Curriculum.pdf

-Watch the book trailer with audio by Claudette Colvin and Phillip Hoose. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZOpqtdd8nw

- Here is a 6 minute interview with Claudette Colvin and Phillip Hoose by NPR.   http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist= false&id= 101719889&m =101923672